Use ATV's illegally.........Lose Your ATV!

[SoleSearcher36]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-12 AT 03:01PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-12 AT 01:22?PM (MST)

How many of you would like to see an "enhanced" penalty for illegal off-trail abuse of ATVs? Lazy, unethical shed hunters not only have the potential to give all shed hunters a "black eye" by unethical and illegal use of ATV's offtrail they also damage habitat, contribute to/cause erosion problems. I contend that this type of use of ATV's is also unnecessarily disruptive to game animals(particularly mule deer) on the winter range. I am seeing more and more of this type of abuse with each passing spring and have to believe many of you are as well. From what I have seen firsthand it seems these guys operate with relative impunity and something needs to be done about it without just needlessly penalizing the vast majority of honest folks out there.
How many of you would support an "enhanced penalty" system to possibly help remedy the problem without unneccesarily penalizing legitimate ATV use on established roads/trails?
The current fine system of $100 is obviously not a steep enough price to pay for illegal ATV use. I would propose a "graduated" penalty system that would impose drastic penalties on gross or repeat offenders to include a $10,000 fine and seizure/forfeiture of the offender's ATV and personal equipment.(binoculars,etc)
I believe this would help put a damper on this activity without unneccesarily limiting or punishing the responsible user.

I have already contacted the BLM as well as Colorado Parks & Wildlife and think this is something that is acheivable with a little support and consensus amongst sportsmen.

What say you?

This is a remedy I am going to pursue in my home state of colorado and am beginning the groundwork for that. Will it get anywhere..............it won't if I don't try. The squeaky wheel usually gets the oil so I guess I am going to have to be that wheel rather than silently griping about it rather than trying to do something. Anyone interested in lending their support/advice in any way can feel free to contact me at [email protected]. It would be helpful to have a list of supportive names to accompany my contact with the CPW,BLM & USFS. I will even have a folder for hate mail if you like to send that sort of thing. I am not looking to further limit our use of ATV's/offroad vehicles. I am generally supportive of responsible use and do so myself. I am interested in protecting our resources and the priveledges we currently have and not allowing a small percentage of disrespectful abusers threaten the future of those priveledges.

 

[bonepicker]

If I thought it would work I would support it. The laws now cannot seem to be enforced so making more strict rules does not really help. If the current are enforced and that doesn't lessen the problem, sure, let's make the rules harsher. But I say make a point to enforce the current rules first before you go and make a bunch more.

 

[c3]

Sorry but more govenment is not the answer. As stated above there's not enough law enforcement already.

Secondly, we don't want to be turning over any more jurisdiction to the BLM. Those nutters can't sort out what's current road much less determine how to divy up fines for running over a couple of sage brush.

If you really want to get involved go here for starters.

http://www.sharetrails.org/
http://cohvco.org/
http://www.usaall.org/?aboutus.htm
http://www.takebackutah.org/

Cheers,
Pete

 

[SoleSearcher36]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-12 AT 02:59PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-12 AT 02:54?PM (MST)

What I am looking to do is essentially what was accomplished by the "sampson" law here in Colorado. I can't say I've ever met someone who isn't supportive of what the enhanced penalties of the sampson law does to deter poachers of trophy animals. I am not asking or looking for any new closures or restrictions on the use of atv's or 4x4's just enforcement of the existing rules and steeper penalties available to deter breaking the existing rules.

Bottom line is I am not interested in letting a few "bad apples" continued abuse of the rules lead to more restrictions on those of us who abide.
I would think the prospect of possibly losing your quad and getting slapped with a $10,000 fine would be more of a deterrent than the existing fines that a shed hunter can easily justify as a "cost of doing business" since enforcement is so spotty. Just like pre-sampson when a poacher might set his sights on a book muley knowing that in the unlikely event he got caught his fine would be about $700 for a rack he could sell for much more. After they passed the law there sure aren't many muleys out there that justify an $11,000 risk plus possible seizure of your vehicle/gun/etc.

 

[bonepicker]

I would say the risk of getting caught driving your ATV in a damaging way is way lower than getting caught poaching. And, law enforcement is less likely to investigate a report of "illegal ATV use", and if they do investigate, it could be even more difficult to get the charges to stick than with poaching.
Realistically, the problem is not with the laws, it is with people's character. I don't tear up the ground with my 4-wheeler, not because I fear the fine or fear getting caught, but because I respect the land and I care about the habitat. Fewer people even care any more. Sure we can stiffen the penalties, and it may make some people think twice but the root cause is the collapse of character in our society, until we fix that, many things are only going to get worse.

 

[swbuckmaster]

You make an example of the ones that you do catch and hit them hard enough and the news will spread. the tards will defiantly have to use their head now to see if they want to break the law or not. A 100 dollar fine for off roading is not even near steep enough. It needs to be in the thousands.